


A Fresh Start

by Nicxan



Category: System Shock (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Not Beta Read, Swearing, The Hacker has PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:41:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23329411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicxan/pseuds/Nicxan
Summary: The Hacker's packing his bags, but needs a bit of support. He only has one person to call.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	A Fresh Start

**Author's Note:**

> Been a while since I've written for this fandom and for My Dude Hacker(tm), so here it is. 
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy. c:

“ _You’re leaving New Atlanta?_ ”   
  
“Yep.”   
  
The Hacker knew what stunned silence meant when it came from Rebecca. Either she didn’t know how to respond or he had just said something so stupid it made her head spin. He didn’t care if it was the latter, though. He had made up his mind a long time ago.   
  
When he looked out the window, he didn’t feel peace anymore. All he could remember was the time that Tri-Op broke into his apartment to haul him away to Citadel Station. The incident played in his head over and over again, threatening to come up every single time a flying car shot past his window. There were times he’d wake in a cold sweat, glancing nervously at his door, waiting for it to be randomly opened. He hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in weeks.   
  
It was time to leave.   
  
“ _You’re sure about this? You can’t exactly just decide to come back if you change your mind. Finding an apartment there is almost impossible._ ”   
  
“Yep, I know.” The Hacker tossed some of his favorite shirts into his duffel bag carelessly. They almost spilled out of the bag; he had to shove them in properly with everything else. It’d be a bitch to get everything organized once he got to his new space, but he didn’t care much about that either. “Got an apartment down in Neo Savannah. Figured one bag for my clothes, and then a suitcase for my computer shit, and we’ll be good to go.”   
  
“ _You’re leaving everything else?_ ”   
  
“Yep.”   
  
There was that stunned silence again. The Hacker couldn’t help but laugh this time. Shit, Rebecca really had no fucking clue what to say, did she? It was a first for her. He wished it wasn’t; he wished that she knew exactly what to say to make this sound less ridiculous. Normally, Rebecca knew just what to do to make him feel better. To make him feel less pathetic.   
  
“Sort of shitty, isn’t it?” the Hacker asked with a resigned chuckle. “Fuckin’ corporate goons break into your fuckin’ place and you can never feel safe there again.”   
  
He anticipated her usual ‘well, you did break the law’ remark, but thankfully, Rebecca didn’t say that this time. “ _I can see why you wouldn’t be able to._ ”   
  
“Neo Savannah’s got me all hooked up. Appliances in there, I can find a new bed pretty easily ... just easier to leave all this shit behind, Rebecca.” The Hacker sighed and zipped up the duffel bag. “Not like my number’s gonna change, though. You still know where to reach me.”   
  
_‘Please check on me,’_ he tried to say. _‘This is fucking scary and I don’t want to be totally alone out there.’_ He wanted to, and by God, he tried, but he just couldn’t get the words out. He just continued to pack in silence while Rebecca sat on the other line.   
  
At least she kept him company still.   
  
“ _When are you leaving?_ ” Rebecca finally asked.   
  
“Tonight.”   
  
“ _And you just called to let me know about this?_ ”   
  
“Yep. I know you, Becca --”   
  
“ _Please don’t call me that._ ”   
  
“-- you would’ve tried to talk me out of it, and I need to do this.” Rebecca’s resigned sigh told the Hacker that he had been right. “So ... nothing personal. But you’re the only one I wanted to tell, so there’s that. Right?”   
  
“ _It sounds like you have this all planned out,”_ Rebecca said. _“But be safe about it. The last thing I want to hear is that you got crushed by a train._ ”   
  
The Hacker burst out laughing, much to his surprise -- and it carried on a bit longer than he had meant to. He nearly dropped the last pair of pants he planned on bringing. Just the idea of him surviving Citadel, stumbling out of a fucking impossible situation and getting crushed by a train instead ... hilarious. Rebecca probably thought he was fucking nuts.   
  
But at least he was laughing about _something_.   
  
“Yeah, that’d suck. I’ll try not to.” The Hacker zipped the duffel bag shut. “All right, I got everything. I’m headed out. Talk to you when I get there?”   
  
“ _If I don’t pick up, at least leave a message you got there safe._ ”   
  
“You got it.”   
  
Rebecca hung up before he could. In a way, it was sort of a relief; the Hacker didn’t have to break his stride or even think about pausing. If he stopped at all, maybe he’d hesitate. He didn’t really want that.   
  
He didn’t really need ‘one last look’ at his old digs. He just needed to get his shit and go. The Hacker threw the duffel bag over his shoulder, grabbed the handle of his suitcase, and booked it out of his old apartment without even looking twice.   
  
He needed this start more than ever -- and knowing he had someone in his corner made it so much easier.


End file.
